Choices
by TJ and Lubaybay
Summary: Judgement is a tie,holding us back.The only way to be happy is to untie everything that's restraining us&lose ourselves to the thing that matters:living to love. Though love may end in tragedy, at least it lived.Happiness:looking past life's defects. :
1. Preface

Choices.

By Tj and Lubaybay.

I never really had a chance. Too bad it took me forever to realize that. It's too late now. As I stand 60 feet above rushing water, the dark memories disseminate throughout my mind. Choices, that's all they were. And I made all the wrong ones. It's ultimately too late to turn back now. I'm going to have to take the plunge. All it takes is one step. I lean forward and look below my feet, towards the gushing river beyond. Its menacing waters gleamed in the moonlight, making my reflection barely visible in the current. I can feel my eyes go crossed from staring too long. Taking a deep breath, I lean away. My grip tightens on the bridge rail behind me. Rusty particles are knocked loose by the hard friction.

The cold bites at my exposed skin. I do not shiver, or even mind the freezing temperature. I check one more time, over my shoulder, for passing cars. The bridge is completely abandoned, like usual, but it isn't uncommon for a car to drive by every now and then. I turn back to face the dark void ahead of me.

It wasn't a hard choice to make. Just because it wasn't hard, doesn't mean it was right. However, at the moment, I felt like it was the only option. The wetness on my cheeks kept me in check and the rushed beating of my heart reminded me why I was there. Nobody in the world mattered at that moment. The only person who had mattered was gone. At least, the only person who I thought mattered. The only thing I wanted at that moment was to be with them, wherever they were.

In the distance, I can hear the soft wailing of police sirens. Even closer, I can pick out the faint bark of searching hounds. The sounds make me uncomfortable and I instinctively shift my body. The broken pavement slips from under my foot and tumbles 60 feet, fabricating a thin shriek to leave my chapped lips. I, however, keep my hold on the bridge, and manage to stay up a little while longer.

I don't know what I exactly was waiting for. The longer I stayed clinging to the side of the bridge, the farther I got from my finish, and the closer I got to being found.

With my left hand, I let go of the bridge rail. The wind, which I hadn't noticed before, knocked me off-balance, but I caught myself before I feel to my awaiting fate. With my free hand, I dug into my pocket. My fingers wrap around a small chain. I pull the chain out, producing a partial silver locket. It was broken, with one side completely ripped off the tiny hinge. A tiny picture was secured in the locket. I raised it up to the bridge light, hoping to study the picture one last time. It was of a smiling boy, with sparkling dark eyes. I could barely make out his face in the silver light.

From behind me, and beyond the trees, a bell begins to toll. Once, twice, three times, it peals, marking the early morning. I slid the locket back into my pocket, and grab the bridge rail with my left hand. I'm facing the dark void again. The wind sucks the air out of my lungs.

"This is it." I think, managing to take a final deep breath. Gulping down air, I move my feet forward. My fingers follow behind, slowly unraveling themselves form the rail. With a slight push, I find myself in the air, 60 feet above the surging water.

It was strange, the whole flying thing. It wasn't how I thought it would be. My legs and arms felt like weights, destined to pull me toward the ground. The tears were pulled off my cheeks by gravity, and I found myself, suddenly, 60 feet above the earth, in peaceful tranquility. I don't remember much about hitting the water and I don't remember how long it took to hit it. The absolute last thing I remember was thinking to myself, "I'm actually flying."

And that is how my story ended, that cold night in December. It ended, that didn't matter; it was going to end anyways, whether it was today or eighty years from now. The only thing that mattered about my ending was the story. I'm glad my story ended now and not some eighty years in the distant future. In some way, my story is easier to tell: it being shorter and all. In another way, my story wouldn't have lasted much longer anyways, given the fact that the essential character had only passed away not three hours prior to the final chapter. Besides, I've always liked this kind of story: short and sweet.


	2. Chapter Un

The sun was beginning to rise, its orange rays peeking though my window and yet, I was still awake. A large navy suitcase lay open on the floor, in the middle of my room, almost full to the brim. Now, I say 'almost' a bit too freely. Rather, the contents of the suitcase were on the verge of spilling out, since somewhere in my mind I had achieved the notion that by some miracle I would be able to squeeze a few more items inside. Yet again, I'm probably saying 'a few more items' a bit too freely also, if you catch my drift.

After hours of scrambling around my room, last minute "packing" just about every item I own, I finally decided to take a break. I took reside on my black desk chair, letting the cool air conditioning from above bring me back to homeostasis. My gaze scanned over my room, taking in all the different piles of rejected clothing and shoes. My eyes stopped on the clock and I gasped when I realized the time. I would be leaving soon, bulging suitcase in one hand, and one hot caffeinated cup of coffee in the other. I could feel the pull of my tired eyes as I dreamed about finally sleeping and drinking a steaming cup of dad's famous vanilla espresso.

Then suddenly, like a train colliding with a wall, a thought occurred to me for the first time that long night. What was I going to wear tomorrow morning? I simply couldn't turn up at the airport, tired and looking like I had no sense of fashion, even if my sense was limited. I jump up and make a hurried dash to my closet. I trample over discarded hangers lying on the floor and I cringe in pain but keep going. I'm delving through my clothes now; I shift through the piles clumped on the floor and through the ones that were lucky to survive on the rack. I'm still searching when I hear the faint squeak of my bedroom door opening.

"Are you still awake?" I hear my mom's voice; it sounded tired and far away. I stick my head out of my closet and see my mom leaning against my bed, yawning and in her robe.

"You realize you'll be leaving in only a few hours don't you?" She asks. Just as she's asking, my eye catches on something, lying half-covered in a reject pile, I had forgotten to pack: my short sleeve black and white striped top. Grabbing it, I answer, "Yes. I know. I've just got a few more things to pack."

She sees the shirt I'm clutching. "When are you going to where _that_?" she asks, "Have you ever worn it _before_?" Her eyes widen. She yawns again and I can't help but catch the bug and I, too, yawn. It was times like this when I really wished my mom would just leave me alone. Even though I should probably be cherishing every moment I have, since I obviously won't be seeing her any time soon, I couldn't help but feel annoyed by her presence. Couldn't she see that she was contributing to my sleepiness? I swear I wouldn't be able to function any longer if she kept this yawning up.

"You never know, we could be in Venice and..." I say, tossing the shirt onto the pile that's cumulating in my suitcase. My mom interrupts me with,

"I don't want to _know_!"

I stop and glance at my mom. For the first time I noticed how sad she looked. I don't believe her eyes drooped that way because she was tired but because she was sad about my leaving. I walked over and put my arm around my mom. "It's going to be okay. Time will go by so fast; you won't even know I'm gone." I say, imagining how much she'll miss me while I'm away. She pats my arm and sighs, her eyes roaming over the mess I call my room.

"Oh I know. I'm just thinking about how much time I'll have to spend cleaning up _this_ _mess_."

Well, so much for her _missing_ me. I take my arm back and slowly walk back to my closet, this time being careful to avoid the dangerous cluster of hangers. I stopped. Standing there, staring at my jumbled up closet, I suddenly felt the effects of the night. I was really tired and my nervousness did not help. Surprising myself, I suddenly broke into tears. I leaned against the doorframe, my tears slowly materializing. My mom came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"Baby, I know you're scared." she whispered, doing her best to console me," but it's going to be okay." I laughed at her choice of words. Had I not just said the same thing to her? I shook my head in agreement but the dang tears just kept flowing. "I know. It's just, it'll be the first time I'll be alone", I wept. My mom rubbed my back in the way only mothers can.

She said," You won't be alone. Don't forget, Lubana will be with you." She saw the look on my face and continued," It's alright to be scared. You…You know, you don't have to go."

I suddenly stopped crying as I processed her words. Not go? That was impossible!

"Mom, I can't NOT go. I've been waiting for this trip for…for a lifetime!" My mom still looked concerned. "I'll be fine. I'm just a little nervous, but I'll be fine. You can count on that." I smiled, doing my best to reassure her doubts. She reached up and grabbed a tissue for me from my dresser. Smiling, she simultaneously stood up and handed the tissue over. Sighing, she assessed the room one last time, her hands in their usual position on her hips.

"I think that's enough packing for tonight." She said when her eyes connected with the contents of my overflowing luggage. Walking over, she pulled out my white coat. The furry inside layer glinted in the light as she held it up by two fingers.

"Really?" She inquired, eyebrow raised. I shrugged.

"It might get cold." I enlightened her, and she gave me one of those quirky smiles. Instead of arguing any further or trying to persuade me to rethink my packing skills, my mom simply pushed the thick coat back under my tan cowboy boots. Before leaving, she looked back at me. I was digging through my underwear drawer at this point, completely immersed in finding a specific pair.

"Jenni, baby, you really should get some sleep." She said before closing my bedroom door behind her. After successfully finding and stuffing the pair of underwear I was looking for into my suitcase, I took my mom's advice into consideration.

Turning the light off, I slipped under my green comforter. With one last glance at the clock, I turned over and attempted to sleep. I didn't bother to set my alarm to go off, because I felt one of those strange intuitions that my parents would be up then and I had complete trust that they wouldn't forget to wake me. They wouldn't want me to miss this opportunity, no matter how much they would miss me (even if they don't want to admit it).

It took a while for me to doze off. I spent most of the next few hours tossing and turning, worrying that I had somehow forgotten to pack something into the suitcase that still lay open on the floor. Eventually, my worries wore off and I was able to float into a wonderful dream-filled sleep.

* * *

Lubana

"Daaaaang it!" I muttered, as I tried to pry myself from my bed's clutches. So much for just slipping in and out from under my bed; that's the last time I even think about crawling under there in search of a pair of shoes. I guess, however, it would help if I stopped tossing things under there, unless I really didn't care if they ever showed up again. I put my hands on the edge of my bed and pushed.

"Arggggh."I groaned as I slowly loosened myself, centimeter by centimeter. I guess this shouldn't be such a surprise. This is what I get for eating two plates of banana pudding for a midnight snack. I'm still struggling to get free when I notice a thin sliver of light shining through the crack under my door. "Dang itttt!" I mutter, pushing harder.

I finally manage to crawl out form under my bed only seconds before my door opens. I can only imagine what I looked like at that moment. I probably looked like a dear caught in the headlights, literally. I could see my sister standing in my doorway, the light from the hall framing her silhouette.

"Lubana, what is wrong with you?" She accused, obviously angry. "Do you even realize what time it is? People are trying to sleep!"

I stand up before saying, "Sorry!! I'm making sure I've got everything ready."

Even though I couldn't see my sister's face, I could imagine her smirk. "Yea, whatever" she says as she retreats back into the hall, shutting the door as roughly as she can without actually slamming it. I kicked myself for being found in such a stupid situation.

Looking at the clock, I realized how right my sister had been. It was really early, and I hadn't even gone to bed yet. That's what you get when you wait till the last minute to pack. I grumbled as I made my way to the cluttered dresser. Opening up one of the top drawers, I groggily grabbed a few pair of socks and tossed them into the luggage sitting at the end of my bed.

I could only imagine that Jenni was probably asleep in her bed at this moment. She was smart; she had most likely packed weeks ago. Watch, I'll show up at her house, looking like I haven't slept in weeks, unable to even stand up, and she'll be well-rested and ready to board the plane! At least I have something to look forward too: the plane ride would be long and I would probably sleep the whole way to Europe.

Europe. I still can't believe we're going to Europe. I stop and smile as I reflect on how lucky we are. I can't stop for long because if I stand still, I start to get dizzy from being too sleep-deprived. My feet drag along as I head to my door. I open it as slowly as I can, doing my best not too wake the rest of my family. I open the door as quietly as humanly possible, so as not to wake up the other members of my family, if they aren't already. The retreat down the stairs was an easy one; this was the first and only time I had been able to make it down, step by step, without tripping. If I had a penny for every time I've fallen down or up a set of stairs, I would be very very rich.

The first thing I did when I reached the kitchen was grab a clean coffee pot. I filled it with water and coffee grinds before sliding it into place in the coffee maker. I could already smell the warm stench of being _awake_. I then grabbed a mug and sat it down on the table. While I waited for the coffee to finish brewing, I slumped into the living room, where I would find our computer. I turned it on and closed my eyes instinctively as I waited for the screen to dull down a bit. Opening one eye, I glanced at the screen. A map of my trip's destinations stared back at me as our wallpaper. I opened the other eye and smiled as my gaze roamed over the map. Tiny, purple heart-shaped stamps practically covered the whole continent of Europe. Well, most of it at least. Cannes, Paris, Rome, Venice, Tuscany, Athens, Switzerland, London, Surrey, Barcelona...only samples of the places we would see.

By the time I finished day-dreaming about our trip, the coffee maker was beeping in the kitchen and I had completely forgetten what I was planning to search for on Google. In a simultaneous motion, I rose and turned off the computer screen. The coffee's aroma welcomed me as I made my way back to the kitchen.


	3. Chapter Deux

Lubana:

I'm so bored. The stupid plane couldn't board from Raleigh, so I have to drive 3 hours by myself to the Charlotte airport, which is where I'm meeting Jenni. It's been exactly one hour and I've already stopped at Seven Eleven six times. I feel sort of sick since I have downed 3 extra large slurpies, five glazed doughnuts, and a chili cheese dog, hot sauce- soaked fries, and 3 packets of BBQ Sunflower Seeds. Jenni wanted to eat breakfast at the airport, but I couldn't wait. I hope she won't be mad.

My thoughts kept distracting me from watching the road, so I turned on some country music. Ahhhh yes. My favorite song, Beautiful Mess by Diamond Rio, is playing. I love driving to this song. I turned it up and sang along: **What a beautiful mess, what a beautiful mess I'm in! Spending all my time with you, there is nothing else I'd rather do! What a sweet addition that I've caught up in! 'Cause I can't get enough can't stop the hunger for your love! **

I kept on listening to the country music channel and finally reached the airport. My throat was dry from singing so much, but I couldn't buy another drink; I had to use the bathroom. Maybe I should pee before meeting up with Jenni. I gave the valet my car keys and headed on into the airport. I had never been to the one in Charlotte. It was beautiful, with its stained glass windows and 19th century finish. It made me feel like I was really in the countryside, which is what North Carolina is all about. Gosh, I was gonna miss this place. After a few minutes of roaming, I got lost in the hordes of people and had to ask the desk assistant for directions to the nearest restroom: Down the hall, third door on the left.

As I was walking out of the restroom, I saw a group of three boys. They looked vaguely familiar, I just couldn't think of who it might be. I think I just had too much on my mind. Oh well. I saw Jenni waiting by the departure area, probably trying to check in early. As I was getting closer, I saw Jenni's face clearer. It looked as tired and worn as mine did.

"Hey Jenni," I said, smiling intently, "did you stay up late packing as well?" It felt good to know I wasn't the only one who worries about little things. I know my family thinks I'm a freak; they can never relate to any of my experiences. "Yeah, I did. I just couldn't figure out what I should pack. I mean, I packed weeks ago, but it was just my nerves getting the best of me" Jenni admitted sheepishly.

* * *

Jenni:

The desk attendant called "Next!" and Lubana and I walked slowly to the counter. I was really nervous to the extent that I had taken up biting my fingernails. I love my perfectly long nails, and now I have resided in biting them off. I hate stress.

We handed her our passports and she did a quick background check- last time I came to the airport, they did not require that- and sent us on our way to the luggage check. We took off our shoes and metal accessories and walked through the security censor. "Beep Beep" went the censor. Oh my God. I forgot that I had pierced my bellybutton on my 21st birthday without telling Lubana. I knew she wouldn't approve of that, even though she has a tattoo of Nick Jonas on her left shoulder blade. The security guard took me aside, using the little buzzer thing to find my metal. Finally, it beeped on my stomach. I had to pull up my shirt a little to show him my piercing, and of course Lubana was standing by him, so she saw too. "OH MY GOD! JENNI WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" she screamed in the security guards ear, which he didn't take too well. He couldn't show his annoyance so he sent her off to the sitting area to wait for our flight to be called.

After that misunderstanding was taken care of, I went to join Lubana at the sitting area. I saw her whispering with her eyes closed, so I asked her what was wrong. "I'm praying that we both find true love on this trip to Europe. I know how we both dream of having someone not as jerk-like as Americans." How sweet, she prayed for both of us. Well, I have a bit of praying to do myself. Oh dear Lord please give us strength on this journey as this is the first time we are going to be away from home without our parents to guide us. Also, give us courage to conquer self actualization and figure out exactly what we want in life. Lastly, Dear Lord, give us the power to overcome fighting amongst each other. Amen.

I opened my eyes and saw we were right in front of Starbucks. I needed some caffeine to stay awake during the flight. If I fell asleep I'm scared I might snore. I don't know if I snore, but if I do, I don't want anyone to hear it. So, Lubana and I walked to the Starbucks and I noticed 3 very familiar looking boys.

"Psst, Lubana, don't those 3 boys look really familiar? I swear I've seen them somewhere, but I can't really see their faces because of their hats and sunglasses. Who would wear hats and sunglasses inside? That is just rude." I mentioned. Lubana happened to know exactly what I was talking about, since she laughed and said she saw them when she was going to the bathroom. She also said that they had a certain _gene se qua_ that she has felt before. I laughed at that comment. How can someone feel a person's aura? But then again, Lubana is as weird as they come, and I enjoy her company more than almost anyone. She is the Ethel to my Lucy.

Just as we were picking up our drinks, our flight number was called. "Hurry up and make the stupid lattes you slow freak!" Lubana yelled as I paid for the coffee. We were taking turns paying since we were putting our money in separate places so we wouldn't lose it. I grabbed my drink and just as Lubana picked up hers, I seized her arm and we ran to the boarding station. We were the last people to get on, and I hate doing that. You see, when you're last to board, you can't see the weirdoes that you're going to have to sit with for 14 hours.

We looked for our seats: F1 and F2, and when we found them, we stuffed our carry-ons into the top compartments. Before I sat down, I had to get out the latest version of Elle Magazine. Crap, I should have claimed my seat first! Lubana stole the window seat. I let it go this time, and opened up the magazine.

"Hey look, Selena Gomez really is dating Taylor Lautner." Lubana looked over to see the pictures. "I can't believe he would date a former Jonas girlfriend-" Lubana said flipping the page. "Oh wow! Megan Fox looked really bad at the VMA's! She looks horrible with slicked back hair." Lubana said a little too loudly. A girl behind us-about 15 years old- said "I love Megan Fox, so don't make fun of her!" and she kicked Lubana's seat. I remember being a young, naïve teenager. I chuckled to myself as the memories of those days flooded my mind.

As I was coming out of my flashback, I felt a tinge of something I had never felt before-something I can only describe as…an aura. I looked around to find the origin of that feeling and when my eyes lay upon it, lo and behold, it was the 3 boys that had been at the airport Starbucks with us. For once, Lubana was right about the aura thing. I felt… attracted to the strangers, but it didn't matter to me. Too bad they were still wearing their hats and sunglasses. To keep me from getting too attached too soon, which is pretty common on certain trips, I thought to myself: They're just going to the same place as I am. I'll probably never see them again after this.

Since we are on the first class flight, a flight attendant walks around every couple hours and gives us anything we ask for. I've eaten to many peanuts, I just might puke. But, the guy in the middle, the one that looks like the second oldest of the 3 strangers, is too attractive. I cannot puke in front of him.

Trying to make myself better, I thought about my mom and how she made me hot cocoa when I was feeling sick. Also, I thought about how when I stayed home from school, I used to watch Family Guy. Peter Griffin always made me laugh, even though my parents though it to be a vulgar way to spend my time; however, they didn't say anything because I was sick.

With all those memories running through my head, I closed my eyes to picture my mom hugging me. After a few minutes, I started thinking about how comfy this seat is and how smooth this plane is flying. The next thing I knew, Lubana was shaking me to tell me there was 30 minutes until we arrive in our first destination,


	4. Chapter Trois

**_JENNi_**

"Are we there yet?" I asked anxiously, stretching my neck as far as it would go in hopes of seeing out of the plane's window. I simultaneously twisted a stray piece of string in between my thumb and forefinger.

"I can see the terminal. We're _almost_ there." Lubana sighed, her irritation with me obvious in her tone. She placed her elbow on her seat's armrest and rested her head on her palm. My gaze followed hers out the oval-shaped window. From where I sat, I could clearly see the shiny airport in the close distance. I could feel my leg shaking and my heart racing; I was truly nervous. About what, I don't know.

I placed my hands on the armrests on each side of me and pushed myself a little out of my seat. I strained my neck once again as I tried to detect what the holdup was. We were landed but we weren't going anywhere. Disappointed, I huffed and lowered myself back onto the comfy first-class seat. "What's taking so long?" I muttered, drumming my fingernails against the armrest. I could feel my own irritation growing.

I was brushing back a piece of stray hair when I first heard it. Someone was laughing…were they laughing at _me_? I twisted in my seat, prepared to face the culprit. I guess you can say I didn't exactly catch him. Instead, my eyes collided with the intense gaze of a pair of soft, brown eyes. They glinted as if they were chuckling, causing me to gasp. I turned back as quickly as before. I swear, if only I had a mirror. My own eyes had to be about the size of Jupiter. That stupid tingly feeling was back.

I glanced over at Lubana; lord help me if she saw what just happened. I exhaled a sigh of relieve when I realized she seemed to be asleep. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. As soon as I did, those boy's eyes were back, along with that tingly feeling. That was the moment I realized those eyes would be forever imprinted in my memory. How I longed to turn around and gaze into those brilliant dark eyes once more!

My fingers gripped my armrest as I slowly tilted my head to the side in hopes of getting a peek. I sighed in relief and sorrow when I realized a stewardess was blocking the boy from my view. I could sense the tension in my body being released and my fingers relaxing their brutal grip on the armrest. I took another glance back at the boy but this time my eyes got a good glimpse of the two boys next to him. They looked alike; they are probably nonetheless brothers. At this point, the two were putting their hats back on. The usual wave of familiarity hit me, but I still couldn't place a name to their faces. At the moment it didn't really matter or occur to me who they actually were. I was too inebriated by that boy's gaze.

From under me, I could feel the plane begin to move. It was then that I noticed I had completely forgotten my previous worries. I felt calm as the sea as I sat there on a plane, in the middle of the great capital of France. Pulling out my ipod, I decided to spend the rest of my time on this plane, relaxed.

* * *

**_LUBANA_**

The 10 large cups of coffee did more harm than good to me. I guess you could say I was grateful for those last fourteen hours of sleep I got a chance to catch back up on during that plane ride. I yawned as I made my way to the plane's toilet once more, for the last time. The plane was about to reach the terminal and I estimated I had enough time to take a quick break before we unboarded. I left Jenni to her music as I climbed out of my seat and wobbled down the small aisle. The last few times I had walked this way, I had been too tired to notice anything other than the floor in front of me and the current seat my hand was gripping on for support. However, this time, as I made my final venture to the _salle de bains, _my attention was entraped.

"Excuse me, miss." A soft voice spoke from my right. My head snapped in that direction. I was momentarily caught off guard when I realized the owner of the voice. It was one of the three boys Jenni and I had seen earlier. By the looks of it, this one was the youngest. All three had put their hats and glasses back on; I struggled to recall if there was a time when I had passed by when they weren't wearing those silly accessories. Even though I could barely see their faces, I knew they were familiar but I didn't press on that any further.

"Yes?" I asked, completley turning my attention to the boy. I suddenly felt the weirdest sensation: It was as if all the nerves in my body twisted all up and fell into my stomach. A thought occured to me: Was he about to inquire why I was taking so many bathroom breaks? Oh my goodness! What he must think of me!

He smiled and I suddenly felt the ball of nerves tighten. His smile was angelic. In the reflection of his sunglasses, I could see that my smile was...slightly, less angelic...

"Are your eyes naturally that color?" He asked, curious. I breathed a sigh of relief. I nodded proudly and then suddenly remembered that my eyes were _not_ naturally this color. Dang. Is it my fault his nice smile caught me off guard?! I thought back to this morning and tried to remember which color contacts I had put on. Did I use the blue ones or the honey ones? My mind swirled. The boy just sat there and stared at me as I stood there, looking like a dumb fool.

"Nope! Sorry, they're contacts." I promptly pronounced. Spinning on my heels, I made a quick getaway toward the bathroom. My face was burning at this point and I was determined to stay in the bathroom until the unboarding had begun and the boy with the cute smile was no longer there.

I speed-walked down the aisle as swiftly as I could, attempting to avoid the number of passengers who had had the wise idea of standing in my way. I could see my objective in the distance now. Only a few more steps and I would be there. I was practically there when I heard a *bing* and the captain's voice echoed throughout the plane.

"We have now reached the terminal. If all passengers would please await the stewardess' instructions, we will begin unboarding momentarily. Thank you for flying American Airlines with us today and I hope all of you have a wonderful time in the beautiful city of Paris. It is currently 16 degrees celcius outside, with winds at 15 mph. Apprécier le jour!" The captain ended with a *click*.

I was about to continue my journey into the bathroom when a cold hand touched my shoulder. I turned and came face to face with one of the, rather not nice-looking, stewardesses.

"Mam, It's time to go back to your seat now." She said in a loose French accent. She was mean looking; I had no idea if she was born with her eyebrows arched that way or if she had purposely chosen them to look like that. Either way, they didn't do her justice.

"But I really need to go." I whined, giving the stewardess my best puppy dog impression.

"Mam, It's time to go back to your seat now." She said once again, her grip on my shoulder tightening.

She let go of me when she was sure that I wouldn't attempt to enter the bathroom and I slowly retreated back to my seat. I made no effort to move out of other people's way, nor did I bother to quickly move around people who were obstacles to me. I trudged embarrassingly past the three boys, keeping my head low.

When I got to my seat, I climbed over Jenni and plopped myself down. Jenni saw my face and took a guess, "They wouldn't let you go this time?" I nodded sadly, then reached down underneath my chair for my carry-on. I could feel the movement of the seat as Jenni silently laughed above me. I sat back up with a grim look on my face.

"It's not funny." I whined, trying my best to neither laugh, nor think about having to go to the bathroom. However, Jenni kept on doing her silent laughter thing. I have to admit, I often wonder why she can't seem to laugh like a normal person: out loud.

"C'mon." She motioned as she began to stand up. I could see the people around us already exiting the plane. Standing up, I gripped my carry-on tightly and pulled it along behind me. As I walked, I tried to ignore the three boys somewhere behind me and managed to focus my mind on the floor below me.

* * *

_**JENNi**_

"Crap." I muttered under my breath. I looked down to see my luggage stuck on the airport's carpet.

"Hey Jenni, I'm gonna run to the bathroom!" Lubana called over her shoulder as she sprinted across the crowded airport. I sighed and looked around to see if anyone was watching me. Then, bending down, I attempted to free the stupid wheel from the ugly carpet. My finger found a hook on the wheel and using it to my advantage, I tugged harder. I guess I tugged too hard. Falling back onto my butt, I heaved a disgruntled groan. I was not discouraged, but rather more invigorated to go try again.

Getting back on my knees, I wrapped my whole hand around the wheel and pulled upwards. The wheel loosened and the luggage sprung into the air thanks to my excessive force. "Crap." was all I had time to say as I watched the navy suitcase fly two feet into the air and eventually land with a thud against a poor man's leg. "Soooo sorry!" I cried as I fled toward the luggage and the man I had inevitably hit.

"It's okay." He said, smiling as he turned toward me. I gasped when I realized who it was. The man was one of the three boys I had seen earlier on the plane. The man, a proud new owner of a large bruise on his left leg, was infact the same boy who's eyes have forever infected my mind.

"I am SO sorry!" I tryed to reprimand myself, bending over and grapping the handle on my "weapon". I looked back up at the man in front of me. He was still wearing his silly looking hat, but the sunglasses he was no longer sporting. I suddenly found myself lost in his soft eyes.

He laughed and replied, "I'm fine." He smiled and when he noticed my expression, he added, "Just try to control yourself the next time you have the urge to throw your luggage at me." He said this with a wink and then turned around to face his brothers again. I sighed and bent over again to flip my now embarrassing suitcase over. I have to admit, I was too enwrapped in a mixture of emotions to notice a pair of hands grapping the side of my luggage. It was only when my luggage was right side up did I notice the same boy standing there, dusting his hands off. He smiled once again and extended a hand.

"I'm Garrett." I cautiously took his hand in mine. He had a firm grip. I smiled at this, seeing as a firm handshake can mean so much.

"I'm Jenni." I replied, taking my turn to smile.

"Pretty name." He said, rather cliche-like. I blushed.

Garrett's brothers diverted his attention suddenly, and I could feel my blush diminishing. I looked down at my suitcase as I wondered whether I should just walk away at this moment. Garrett turned back to me while his brothers started to walk away.

"It was nice meeting you. Who knows, maybe we'll see each other again." He said in his smooth voice. I complied to the urge to look into his eyes. I raised my head slightly. My eyes traced over his face before stopping at his eyes. He was tan, and needed a little shave. His lips were formed perfectly in my opinion and his eyes sparkled with a hint of laughter.

"Yea." was the only thing I could say. Garrett laughed again as he started retreating backwards after his brothers. He touched his hat and winked as he turned around. I was left alone, in the middle of the busy airport, one hand balancing my suitcase, the other hand balancing myself from collapsing due to Garrett's lingering gaze. I took a breath before I turned and walked toward the airport's bathroom. I could see Lubana in the distance, waiting for me outside the women's restroom. I silently relieved the encounter in my head as I brushed my way past the bustling crowd.

* * *

_**Lubana**_

This lady wearing a bright orange shirt and a smug look runs into me. I shoot her my mean look. When she disappears around the corner, I resume standing against the cold wall. Even though the airport is just one big bustling crowd today, I have no problem spotting Jenni in the distance. She's standing with her luggage close to her side. I gasp when I notice who she's standing next to. Dang stewardess! I feel my stomach drop as I realize that if I had been able to use the toilet on the plane, I could've been over there talking to those boys. When I close my eyes, I can see that angelic smile again. I frown when I remember how I had embarrassed myself and suddenly I'm glad I'm over here.

I look up once more; Jenni was suddenly invisible among the hordes of people. I search some more before I locate her again. She's walking toward me now. I stand up from the wall and grab my own luggage. I wait until she gets closer before I walk to meet her.

"What was that about?" I asked before she had time to say anything. She gave me one of her sad smiles and shrugged. The anticipation inside me was growing and I longed to know what they had been talking about. "Are you sure?" I ask one more time, my voice raising a pitch.

Jenni shook her head. "It was nothing." She looked away, and then back, saying, "Ready to split?" Her smile was big and real now. I nodded and we gripped our suitcases tightly before turning and following the crowd out of the airport.


End file.
